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Kansas September jobless rate drops 1 percentage point

The state’s jobless rate inches closer to that of Missouri’s, a Friday report from the Kansas Department of Labor showing the unemployment rate fell from 6.9 percent in August to 5.9 percent in September, though labor force participation has declined.

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services (LMIS) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.9 percent in September.

This was a decrease from 6.9 percent in August and an increase from 3.1 percent in September 2019.

“The Kansas unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in September,” said Acting Secretary Ryan Wright. “However it is important to note that similar to national trends, the number of individuals participating in the labor force has also declined.”

Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs decreased by 7,200 from August. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, decreased by 900 from the previous
month, while government decreased by 6,300.

“The widespread job growth seen in Kansas throughout the summer slowed in September, with losses in both the private sector and government jobs,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “The majority of the over-the-month decrease in jobs can be attributed to government which added fewer jobs than the typical pattern for September, resulting in a seasonally adjusted decline.”